Air-valve for radiators.



No. 772,766. PATBNTEI) OCT. 18, 1904.

-T. WHEATLEY; 7' AIR VALVE FOR RADIATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16. 1908.

N0 MODEL flowing steam or water.

f "UNITED STATES.

Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. v

THOMAS WHEATLEY, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

AIR-VALVE FOR RADIATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 7 72,7 (i6, datedOctober 18, 1904.

' Application filed April 16, 1903.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, THoMns WHEATLEY, of Syracuse, in the county'ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements injAir-Valves for Radiators, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to improvements in air-valves for use inconnection with steam and hot-water radiators for permitting the escapeof air and preventing the exit of the in- In order that this class ofdevices may be efficient, it is imperative that the valve beautomatically closed as soon as the air is expelled from the radiatorand before the heating agent has an opporcondensation when steam isemployed as the heating agent or to receive portions of the mflowingwater when hot water is used, the float being partially immersed in theliquid and is connected to operate a suitable valve for closing anair-vent in the outer shell.

I have discovered that air under certain conditions is more susceptibleand responsive to light thermostatic changes thanliquid and that byproperly trapping and enveloping a small volume of air in the heatingmedium it may be utilized to operate the valve more speedily andpositively than liquid, such as Water. Y a

The object of my invention,therefore, is to support the well and floatin such manner that the air will pass freely through the vent during theinflow of the heating agent and portions of the water, whether ofcondensation or in bulk, will be deposited in the well and trap aportion of the air in the float, the air thus trapped being enveloped bythe heating medium, whereby the air in thefloat is immediately' expandedand operates the float to close the-air-vent, said float being providedwith a suitable valve for this purpose. 1

Another object is to suspend the well wholly Serial No. 152,889. (Nomodel.)

above theinlet of the outer shell, so that the inflowing heating agentimpinges directly against its bottom wall and then flows upwardly alongits side walls, thereby enveloping substantially the whole of the wellin the heatingagent for the purpose of insuring an immediate action ofthe valve to close the valve either by the expansion of the liquid inthe well or by the expansion of the air which is trapped in the float,the latter action being more instantaneous on account of the greater edthereon.

A still further object is to provide means for guiding the lower end ofthe float in its vertical movement to prevent the walls of the floatfromadhering to the adjacent walls of the well, as is frequently the case inthe use of floats which are not thus guided, it being top plan of thedetached retainer for holding the lower end of the well in lateraldisplacement.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts 1n all thev1ews.

In carrying out the objects of my invention I provide an outer case 1with an inlet 2 and an outlet3, the inlet in this instance beingsubstantially in the base of the outer shell, and the outlet is arrangedin the upper endof the shell in axial alinement with the inlet, saidshell being provided with upper and lower annular recesses4 and 5.

Suspendedwithin and from the sides of the shell 1 is a second shell 6,which is constructed in the form of a cup of smaller cross-sectionalarea than the interior of the shell 1 and is formed with an open upperend and an imperforate bottom 7. The upper'end of this cup or well 6 isprovided with lateral projecting shoulders 8, which enter the recesses 4for holding the well in fixed relation to the shell 1, said shoulders 8being preferably separated from each other for forming'passages 9, whichconnect the space in the upper portion of the outer shell with the spacesurrounding the well, whereby the air and heating agent finds a readypassage from the inlet 2 to a point above the well; but the lower end ofthe well is detached from the base of the outer shell to permit its freeexpansion and to allow the heating agent to circulate across the bottomand around the sides of the well.

Supported in the recesses 5 is a baflle or deflector plate 10, which isprovided with a substantially central opening 11 to receive the lowerend of the well 6, said plate being formed with inwardly-projectingteeth 12 and openings or recesses 13, the teeth or shoulders 12projecting into close proximity to the side walls of the well to preventits lateral movement or displacement, and the recesses 13 form suitablepassages for the air and heating fluid escaping from the radiator 2.

The shoulders 8 and 12 serve to break up any Volume of water which mayenter the shell 1, and thereby prevent any choking up or congestion dueto any inequalities of pressure in the shell, the primary function ofthese shoulders and separate passages being to facilitate thecirculation of the heating medium through the outer casing. It will alsobe noted that by flanging the upper edge of the well outwardly againstthe side walls of the outer shell the water of condensation which mayaccumulate in the upper end of the shell is more readily precipitatedinto the well, thus causing an earlier action of the float than would bepossible if the upper end of the side walls terminated in straight linesor were not united to the shell at this point.

The bottom wall of the well 6 is disposed in a plane a considerabledistance above the inlet 2, so as to form a chamber between the lowerend of the well and inlet and to permit the inflowing heating agent toimpinge directly against the center of the bottom wall and then todeflect upwardly along the sides of the well, where it passes throughthe passages 9 and into the chamber above the well.

Movable within the well is a hollow float 14, which is open at its lowerend and closed at its upper end, said float being of less diameter thanthe inner diameter of the well, and its lower end is immersed in theliquid, as water, which is precipitated into the well, thereby trappingthe air in the upper portion of the float. It will now be readilyunderstood that the heating agent entirely envelops the float and that,owing to this fact, the air which is sealed in said float is immediatelyexpanded and causes the float to rise as soon as the lower end issealed, this sealing operation taking place almost simultaneously withthe expulsion of the air from the upper end of the outer shell throughthe vent 3. This float is therefore provided with a valve 15, which isadapted to close the passage 3 as the float is elevated, so that as soonas the air is expelled from the radiator through the inlet 3 and theheated fluid follows into the shell 1 the water, either of condensationor in bulk, is precipitated into the bottom of the well 6, therebytrapping the air in the float 14, which is immediately expanded by theheat of the surrounding fluid and causes the float to raise the seat andvalve 15 in the passage 3. This passage 3 is somewhat elongatedvertically and forms a guide for the upper end of the float, while thelower end of the float is provided with a transverse bar 16, having anaperture 17, which receives a pin 18, projecting upwardly from thebottom wall of the well 6, this latter arrangement serving to guide thelower end of the float and to prevent it from coming in contact with theside walls of the well, and therefore obviates any liability of thefloat sticking or adhering to the side walls of the well.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination of an outer shellhaving an inlet in its base and an outlet in its top, a well suspendedfrom the sides of the outer shell and having its lower end imperforateand detached from the base to permit access of the steam to the bottomof the well, a float in the well, and a valve for the outlet actuated bythe float.

2. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination with an outer shellhaving an inlet in its base and an outlet in its top, a well in theshell having its upper part engaged with the sides of the shell todeflect the water of condensation into the well and provided withpassages between the shell and well connecting the upper with the lowerportion of the shell, a float in the well, and a valve for the outletactuated by the float.

3. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination of an outer shellhaving an inlet in its base and an outlet in its top, a well in theshell engaged with the sides of the shell and detached from the base andprovided with an imperforate bottom separate from the base to allowaccess of the heating agent to said bottom, the sides of one of theparts having passages connecting the space above the well with the spacebetween the well and shell, a float in the well, and a valve for theoutlet actuated by the float.

4:. An air-valve for radiators comprising a shell having an inlet in oneend and an airthewell from lateral displacement, a float in the well,and a valve operated by the float to.

close the outlet. I

5. An air-valve comprising an outer shell having an inlet and an outlet,an inner shell forming a Well and having an imperforate bottom-above theinlet, afloat in the well having an open lower end, a valve actuated bythe float to close the outlet, and a guide in the base of the well forguiding the lower end of the float. V

6. A radiatorvalve comprising a shell having an inlet and an outlet, awellsuspended in the shell wholly above the inlet, a baffle-platebetween. the sides of the shell and well, a float in the well, andavalve actuated by the float to close the outlet.

7. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination with an outer shellhaving an inlet in its base and an outlet in its top, a Well in theshell having its upper end attached to the sides of the shell and itslower end detached from the base and formed with an imperforate bottomseparate from the base to permit access of the heating fluid to saidbottomfa float in the well and having a valve on its upper end to closethe outlet, and a guide in the well 8. In an air-valve for radiators,the combination with an outer shell having an inlet in its base and anoutlet in its top, a well in the shell having its lower end detachedfrom the base and provided with an imperforate bottom above the inletseparate from the base to permit access of the heating fluid to saidbottom, a float in the well, a guide in the well for guiding the floatand a valve on the upper end of the shell to close the outlet.

9. In an air-valve for radiators, the combination with an outer shellhaving an inlet in its base and an outlet in its top, a well in theshell having its upper end attached to ,the'

sides of the shell and provided with passages therein and its lower enddetached from the outer shell and provided with an imperforate bottomseparate from the base to permit access of the heating fluid to saidbottom, a float in the well and a valve for the outlet actuated by thefloat.

10. In an air-valve for radiators a shell havingan inlet and anair-vent, a well suspended in the shell and separate from the bottom ofthe shelland communicating with theinlet between the shell and Well, afloat in the well, and means actuated by the float to close the vent.

11. In an air-valve for radiators an outer.

